Chapter 995: Tricked an Undercover Agent

Zu An said indifferently, "You're certainly clever, pretending to be my woman in front of outsiders. But do you think that will make me let you go?"

Tang Tian'er instantly felt her strength drain away. With a tearful face, she said, "My lord, I truly wasn't here to assassinate you. I was just curious and wanted to test you, but I never expected your cultivation to be so high. Your attack came so quickly that I was severely injured before I could even explain myself."

"My lord, you should have noticed that I held back during my attack. Although my moves were fierce, I didn't actually aim for your vitals. With your high level of cultivation, you must have sensed that."

Zu An snorted, "If I hadn't realized that later, why would I have expended my energy to save you just now?"

Hearing his tone soften, Tang Tian'er brightened. She moved closer to him and said sweetly, "My lord, you're so naughty! You really scared me just now."

"Was your visit your own idea or was it Carefree Pavilion's intention?" Zu An asked in a deep voice.

"Of course it was my personal intention. Everyone in the pavilion still thinks you're from the Merfolk clan," Tang Tian'er said softly. "I was just very curious about you, so I came to test you, but I didn't expect it to go so wrong."

"Merfolk clan, huh..." Zu An probably guessed why they would think that.

Tang Tian'er quickly added, "Please rest assured, my lord. Only I know your true identity. I absolutely won't tell anyone else."

"A woman's word and a man's words in bed are equally unreliable," Zu An chuckled.

"Then how can I earn your trust, my lord?" Tang Tian'er suddenly asked with a shy expression. "If you're willing, I can even become your woman. Then you'll surely be able to trust me."

"Stop trying to test me. If you were willing to use your body as a weapon, you wouldn't still be a virgin in a complicated place like the Carefree Pavilion," Zu An said, directly exposing her lie.

Tang Tian'er dropped her practiced smile and sighed faintly. "I've met all sorts of men, but you, my lord, are the only one who truly understands me... That's not a compliment; it's genuinely how I feel."

"Flattery won't help," Zu An said, then took out two pills, one red and one blue. "Choose one and swallow it. Only then will I feel at ease."

Tang Tian'er's expression subtly changed. "What are these?"

Zu An replied calmly, "The red one is called the Three-Corpse Brain-Devouring Pill, and the blue one is called the Leopard Fetus Marrow-Changing Pill."

"The Three-Corpse Brain-Devouring Pill is refined from three types of corpse worms. After ingestion, there are no immediate effects, but if the antidote is not taken before noon on the Dragon Boat Festival each year, the corpse worms will hatch. Once they enter the brain, the person who took the pill will act like a ghost or demon, even biting and devouring their parents and spouse."

Tang Tian'er's face finally changed completely. Although she had suspected they were poisons, she never imagined such sinister ones.

"What about this one?" The girl instinctively recoiled at the mention of corpse worms, trembling as she pointed to the blue pill.

"This one is called the Leopard Fetus Marrow-Changing Pill," Zu An introduced mockingly. "It's made from rare and highly potent medicinal ingredients like leopard fetus, deer fetus, placental extract, and sea dog kidney, refined using special techniques. Within a year of taking it, it will strengthen your body. However, if you don't take the corresponding antidote after a year, its violent toxicity will activate. A fat person could suddenly stretch three feet taller within three months, with their skin covered in blood. Similarly, a thin person could shrink by half, transforming into a bloated, shapeless ball of flesh. With your physique, you'd most likely end up like the latter."

"So, what do you say? Have you decided which one to choose?"

Tang Tian'er's small face was deathly pale. She stammered, "Can I not choose?"

The way he described the effects of each pill in such clear detail made it evident he wasn't making it up on the spot. Now she was truly panicking.

Zu An shook his head. "You must choose one, or you die right now."

Tang Tian'er's face alternated between pale and green, and her breathing became rapid. She seemed to be in an internal struggle.

"What, are you thinking of making a last stand?" Zu An said indifferently.

After her attempt to resist was seen through, Tang Tian'er finally lost her strength. "Your cultivation is far superior to mine. What right do I have to fight?"

After speaking, she tremblingly chose the blue pill. Compared to having corpse worms inside her that would eventually devour her brain, the other option was easier to accept.

After taking the pill, she suddenly looked at Zu An. "You want me to be your spy in the Carefree Pavilion?"

"You are clever, Miss Tang," Zu An nodded approvingly. "As long as you're obedient, I'll give you the antidote in advance each year, so you won't have to worry about any problems."

Hearing him say that, Tang Tian'er directly swallowed the "Leopard Fetus Marrow-Changing Pill." "Now you should be at ease, right!"

Anger value from Tang Tian'er +555 +555 +555...

Zu An smiled faintly. He had no such things as the Three-Corpse Brain-Devouring Pill or the Leopard Fetus Marrow-Changing Pill. He had merely been pondering how to control her and remembered famous poisons from wuxia dramas he had watched in his previous life. He never expected to actually bluff her so completely.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Zu An felt a little embarrassed.

"Sit still."

"What for?"

Tang Tian'er was now somewhat wary. Her sweet smile was gone, and she looked at him as if he were a demon.

"Your injuries aren't fully healed. Since you're now under my command, I naturally can't let you leave with wounds." He had just given her the stick; now it was time for some carrot.

"Hmph, who's under your command?" Tang Tian'er originally wanted to refuse him firmly. After all, this man was truly despicable. She had come specifically for him, just like the beautiful women who eloped in storybooks, only for him to commit such an outrageous act against her.

However, recalling the comfortable sensation from earlier, she ultimately couldn't resist the temptation and obediently sat closer.

Zu An extended a finger and pressed it against her back, guiding the Primal Chaos Qi to continue healing her internal injuries.

"Mmm~" Feeling that familiar comfortable sensation, Tang Tian'er couldn't help but let out a sweet, soft hum from her nose.

Zu An: "..."

"Could you not make sounds like that? Someone who doesn't know might think I did something to you." That kitten-like sound truly made him feel a bit flustered.

"Haven't you done anything to me, my lord? I'm almost ruined by you," Tang Tian'er complained resentfully.

Zu An: "???"

"Don't misuse words if you don't know what they mean."

"But that's exactly how it is," Tang Tian'er said, gradually calming down from her anger. "If I obediently listen to you from now on, you'll give me the antidote, right?"

"Of course." A faint smile appeared on Zu An's lips. He wondered how she would react when she learned the truth in the future.

"Then how will I find you when the time comes? What if some unexpected event prevents me from getting the antidote before the poison acts up? Wouldn't that be unfair?" Tang Tian'er asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, I'll send you the antidote in advance. Besides, I'm in the capital; it's easy to find me. You, on the other hand, are quite mysterious within the Carefree Pavilion; I might not be able to find you." Zu An thought to himself, *You only ate two sugar pills. It would be a miracle if they caused any 'poison' to act up.*

However, next time he gave her an 'antidote,' he could try giving her a real Leopard Fetus Marrow-Changing Pill or something similar, assuming, of course, that he had already refined such a medicine.

Tang Tian'er, naturally unaware that she had been thoroughly manipulated, said, "You have the Carefree Pavilion's jade token now. You can contact me anywhere there's a Carefree Pavilion."

Zu An was a little surprised. "It seems your position in the Carefree Pavilion isn't as insignificant as you claimed."

"Of course not. I'm a prized flower of the Carefree Pavilion..." Her face quickly fell, however. "Unfortunately, I still ended up in your hands."

"Oh, right, where's my compensation?" Tang Tian'er held out her hand.

"Compensation?" Zu An was stunned. "Don't move around, I'm still healing your injuries."

"Oh," Tang Tian'er replied, then continued, "Of course I want compensation. Even though you're coercing me and I have to work for you, there's a difference between doing something half-heartedly and doing it diligently. If you only threaten me, I might not dare to disobey, but I won't take it seriously either; I'll just be trying to appease you."

"But with compensation and rewards, it's different. Not only will I complete the tasks, but I'll also think about how to complete them even better."

"You do have a point," Zu An said, unsure whether to call her optimistic or something else, given how quickly she had adapted to her new role. "What kind of compensation do you want? Just so you know, I'm quite poor."

His current needs for alchemy, cultivation, and Daji's breakthroughs all required many spiritual herbs, making him practically a money-burning machine. Especially the auction at the Carefree Pavilion, which had made him realize for the first time just how poor he was.

"I don't know if you're poor, but you're definitely stingy," Tang Tian'er rolled her eyes. She had seen him spend lavishly at the Carefree Pavilion before; how could such a person be poor? "Don't worry, I don't want your money. I just want you to..."

Mid-sentence, her face suddenly flushed slightly. "Just do this with me from time to time."

Zu An: "???"